豺 (chái) — jackal
Definition
noun
jackal
Measure word · 只
Examples
- 豺。Sēn lín lǐ yǒu yì zhī chái.There is a jackal in the forest.
- 豺。chái Shì yì zhǒng hěn cōng ming de dòng wù.Jackals are very intelligent animals.
- 豺。Tā zài dòng wù yuán kàn dào le jǐ zhī chái.He saw several jackals at the zoo.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
豸豸zhìcreature
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái豺chái
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
In 豺, 豸 marks it as a creature, and 才 gives the sound.
Appears in
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